Pogba heads France into last eight

30 June 2014 06:32

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France marched into the World Cup quarter-finals after shading an absorbing contest against Nigeria in Brasilia.

Les Bleus had been kept at bay by the African side for much of the match, and given a few scares of their own, before a spell of intense pressure led to Paul Pogba heading home, with Joseph Yobo's late own goal only compounding Nigeria's misery in a 2-0 defeat.

Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama - who plays his club football in France for Lille - had performed heroics, but it was his blunder that allowed Pogba, the former Manchester United youth player who has made his name at Juventus, to strike the crucial blow.

Until then, Enyeama had defied the French - not least with a brilliant reaction save after Mathieu Valbuena had set Pogba up for a powerfully-struck volley.

With Enyeama in such form, Didier Deschamps' side could not afford to be wasteful and Valbuena's promptings in midfield looked the best avenue for attack. It was the Marseille midfielder who conjured a neat lay-off into Mathieu Debuchy's path only for the Newcastle full-back to send his drive wide when a goal looked odds-on.

Valbuena's fast feet then saw France open up the Nigerians again but Giroud's shot on the turn was disappointing.

It was one-way traffic but Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny had to be smart to block out Peter Odemwingie when the Stoke striker threatened.

Blaise Matuidi then crunched Odemwingie and from a promising position Emmanuel Emenike blasted the free-kick high and wide. Nigeria's Fenerbahce striker then did get the ball in the net with a great finish but was flagged for offside.

Emenike's power posed a threat to the French and he stung the hands of Hugo Lloris with a fizzing shot from 25 yards.

As the game entered the final phase, France began to exert control, perhaps aided by Lazio midfielder Ogenyi Onazi departing on a stretcher after a nasty later challenge by Matuidi, who was booked.

It had been a fairly miserable game for Giroud, who had not clicked at all with Karim Benzema, and he came off just after an hour for Antoine Griezmann.

The change had an immediate impact. Benzema's one-two with Griezmann on the edge of the box came off perfectly but Enyeama managed to take the pace out of the Real Madrid striker's shot and Victor Moses hooked it clear off the line.

France continued to press and Benzema's cross-shot was scooped clear before Yohan Cabaye came as close as anyone had to scoring when his 20-yard strike crashed back off the crossbar.

Finally, France made the breakthrough and it was hugely unfortunate for Enyeama that having been so heroic, it was his flap at Valbuena's corner that saw the ball drop nicely for Pogba to direct a header into the unguarded net.

Enyeama made up for it with another fabulous stop to keep out Griezmann's fiercely-struck effort but France were not to be denied and Griezmann's step-over from Valbuena's cross saw the ball hit the unfortunate Yobo on the shin - who had broken Nigeria's World Cup appearance record - and roll into the net.